20. Every Inch of Land Drenched in Blood

The orc tribes have embarked upon a new long march.

Five centuries ago, defeat in their struggle against the elves forced the three great orc clans to abandon their most fertile and beautiful lands, the magical Fairy Forests, and their most precious mineral resources. They were driven far from the heart of the continent toward the barren, savage lands of the East.

Now, another newborn, diminutive race—wielding a weapon they also call "magic"—has driven them away once more.

The orcs crossed the rivers and headed to the south of Eldoron, retreating far from the human villages they once slaughtered and plundered. The human villagers of Rolling Stone Village and others witnessed this scene with their own eyes. They saw the orcs at the foot of the mountains and in the distant wilderness withdrawing in masses, moving further and further away.

"The mages have driven the orcs away."

"They're gone, they're really gone! The orcs have vanished!"

"The orcs have left. No one will die anymore, right?"

"Praise be to the mages!"

"As long as we study magic diligently, we can become powerful mages too, can't we?"

For the children studying basic magical knowledge in rudimentary schools, this was the greatest inspiration. They had experienced a turning point in history, witnessed the orcs being driven away by the magic of the mages, and aspired to become such heroes themselves.

"Little Gray, you don't need to help with the farm work anymore," his father told him that morning. "You must follow Master Joseph and learn magic well!"

...

"Your Majesty, the orcs have crossed the Washing Jade River and are heading toward the lush Emerald Mountains—it is said that the region is ruled by a powerful ancient dragon lord. The orcs likely intend to seek refuge there."

"Shall we continue the pursuit?" Commander Thor asked Aelian as he watched the orcs wading through the water or crossing the bridges.

"No need." Aelian waved his hand.

He did not wish to exterminate the orcs; he merely wanted to drive out these bloodthirsty bandits, giving the humans of this ancient era a chance to recuperate, grow their population, and develop their agriculture. Compared to the robust orcs, the innate magical power and long lives of the elves, and the vast numbers of the goblins, the human race possessed its own superior advantages.

Exceptional learning and growth capabilities, and an almost incredible creativity.

Humans could easily master new specialties, were adept at creating new spells and professions, could qualify for almost all transcendent classes, and could perfectly accommodate and fuse the bloodlines of nearly every transcendent race.

This was a race full of miracles.

This was the ultimate late-game talent that could only be infinitely magnified within a civilization, in a stable environment, and supported by a sufficient population base and education! It was by relying on this talent that, ten thousand years later, the myriad nations of humanity would become the masters of this continent.

And Aelian intended to accelerate this process.

Watching the mass of orcs crossing the river in the distance, Aelian said calmly, "Let them go."

"To completely wipe out the orc tribes in the eastern part of the continent would likely invite the wrath of the orc pantheon..."

"Defeating a foreign race in a conventional battle is one thing, but extermination is another. The latter is very likely to draw the attention of racial deities."

"Eldoron does not have the capacity to withstand the fury of true gods."

When the orc gods were mentioned, the eyes of many mages, including Thor, dimmed quietly. Humanity was the only intelligent race without divine protection. This was a wound that would forever prick the hearts of men.

Following this, Aelian added, with profound meaning: "I said, not yet."

...

When the last of the orcs had crossed the river and vanished into the distance, Aelian led the mages and the young, able-bodied villagers from a dozen settlements in southern Eldoron to the banks of the Washing Jade River.

The imperial monarch looked across the water at the retreating orc hordes, pointed to the rushing river, and declared:

"From this day forth, the north side of this Washing Jade River is the land of humanity."

"Whether they are orcs, dragons, elves, dwarves, demons, or any other kind of enemy, none shall cross it."

"Because this side of the river is the land of Eldoron, our shared wealth."

"If one day, a new enemy crosses this river, invades the land of Eldoron, and kills our kin, no matter how powerful they may be, we shall fight them to the bitter end."

"Because this is the border of Eldoron, a line carved by the blood and tears of hundreds of thousands of our human kin who died miserably at the hands of the orcs over the centuries. It is a line carved by the elite combat mage legions of Eldoron, facing vicious and tyrannical foes with an unyielding conviction of victory."

The land belonging to humanity... The land of Eldoron... The Empire's "border"...

The mages and common villagers of this ancient age listened as Aelian spoke these slightly unfamiliar terms, gazing at the distant orc tribes that had now become history, and were suddenly enlightened, their hearts surging like the rolling river.

In this primordial age, borders and the territories of empires were not clearly defined. Until today, Aelian had imbued them with meaning.

"Thor, take everyone and erect a stone monument here," Aelian instructed.

"Engrave upon this monument the bloody atrocities of the orcs over the past centuries, as well as how we defeated and drove them away today."

"The monument must be sturdy, the inscriptions deep, so it will not fear the weathering of time. Let our descendants know what this land has endured."

"The monument must be large and magnificent. Let every foreign race see it and know that, across the river, lies the land of humanity."

Thor nodded. "I follow Your Majesty's will."

The mages cast "Stone Wall" and "Stone Shaping" in unison. Before long, a towering, massive stone monument stood on the riverbank.

Before the monument, the water flowed on. On the monument, history had left its mark.

This was the first border of Eldoron.

From that day on, the empire had a frontier.